Flush mounted arrangement of a hinge pintle



R. E. FOLTZ 3,390,419

FLUSH MOUNTED ARRANGEMENT OF A HINGE PINTLE July 2, 1968 Filed Nov. 5, 1965 a 0 0 no 9 66 2&0

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United States Patent 3,390,419 FLUSH MOUNTED ARRANGEMENT (IF A HINGE PINTLE Robert E. Foltz, Lawrence Brothers, Inc., Sterling, Ill. 61081 Filed Nov. 5, 1965, Ser. No. 506,469 7 Claims. (Cl. 16169) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates generally to door hardware and more particularly to butt hinges of the loose pin type. This application discloses a hinge pintle structure wherein a headed hingle pintle is mounted within aligned hinge knuckles, with the head thereof positioned within a recess at the outer extremity of at least one of the knuckles, the outer surface of said head being flush with the outer planar end surface of the associated knuckle, the diameter of the head in the vicinity of the outer planar end surface being less than but approximating the external diameter of the knuckle.

Residential and ofiice doors are conventionally hung for swinging operation on butt hinges; and the pivot provided by such hinges is defined by the stem of a hinge pintle which is loosely disposed in, or more particularly extractable from the knuckles of the hinge leaves. Other types of hinges, by way of contrast, incorporate permanently installed pins that have riveted-over heads. In the case of butt hinges, appearance is a primary consideration; and both owners and architects consistently seek structures of improved appearance. Previous attempts at developing butt hinges with a buttonless appearance have not met with any substantial success. For example, headless pins have not remained in place for a suitable length of time, and schemes of flush mounting have produced undesirable weakness in either the head of the pintle or the corresponding end knuckle of the hinge leaf.

Therefore, an important object of the present invention is to provide a practical construction for a flush tip hinge.

A more general object of the invention is to provide a new and improved butt hinge of the loose pin type.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flush tip butt hinge that is strong and serviceable.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a flush tip butt hinge that is easy to manufacture and convenient to use.

These and other objects and features of the invention will become more apparent from a consideration of the following descriptions.

A butt hinge in accord with the invention includes a pair of cooperating hinge leaves that have interfitting end and medial knuckles. The end knuckles are recessed to receive the head of a stemmed element, and a hinge pintle is fashioned to include an elongate stem that is slidably and rotatably received in a plurality of the hinge knuckles. This pintle is also fashioned to include a head that is rigid with the stem and that is fittingly received in one of the recessed end knuckles in flush relationship with the end surface of that knuckle.

In order that the principles of the invention may be readily understood, two embodiments thereof, but to which the application is not to be restricted, are shown in the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a butt hinge constructed in compliance with the invention and suggested in use mounting a door to a door frame;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view taken substantially along the section 2-2 of FIG. 1;

means Patented July 2, I968 ice FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the pintle used in the butt hinge of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the plug element used in the butt hinge of FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the upper portion of FIG. 2, the ball bearing and cooperating portion of the pintle being broken away to show the pintle retention arrangement;

FIG. 6 is a view taken substantially along the line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to the showing of FIG. 2 but illustrating a modified embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the plug element used in the butt hinge 0f FIG. 7.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, specifically to FIG. 1, a door installation is indicated generally by the numeral 20 and inches a butt hinge 22 which swingably mounts a door 24 to a jamb 26, butt hinge 22 being of the loose pin type. Butt hinge 22 includes a pair of hinge leaves 28 and 30 which are fastened respectively to the jamb 26 and in the door 24 by means of flat headed wood screws 32. Leaf 30 is provided with tubular end knuckles 34 and a medically disposed, tubular knuckle 36 that is spaced axially inwardly from the end knuckles 34. cooperatively, leaf 28 is provided with medially disposed, tubular knuckles 38 that are spaced to interfit with the knuckles 34 and 36. In addition, the butt hinge 22 includes a hinge pintle 40.

Turning to FIG. 2 and with secondary consideration to FIG. 3, the pintle 40 comprises an elongate, cylindrical stem 42 having a beveled tip 44 and a cylindrical head 46. As is shown in FIG. 2, the knuckles 34, 36 and 38 are fashioned with similar bores 48, and these bores are axially aligned for receiving the stem 42. To provide lubricity and bearing properties, oil impregnated, sintered metal sleeve bearings 50 are fitted into the several hinge knuckles and ball bearing units 52 are locked in the knuckles 38.

With reference to FIG. 5, a typical ball bearing unit 52 is seen to comprise a train of high carbon alloy steel balls 54 which are confined between hardened steel raceways 56. In addition, medial knuckle 38 is fashioned with an annular niche 58 that is shaped to receive the ball bearing unit 52. It is to be recognized that the sintered metal bearings 50 provide a permanent reservoir of oil and feed oil to all of the bearing surfaces, including those in the ball bearing units 52.

In order to prevent the pintle 40 from rising during use of the hinge 22, a ball 60 is pressed into a radial bore 62 in the stem 42, a compression spring 64 being fitted into the bore 62 in advance of the ball 60 to be compressed by entrance of the ball and therefore provide bias for the ball in a generally outward direction. A cooperating groove 66 is fashioned in the sleeve bearing 50 for upper end knuckle 34, groove 66 confronting the ball 60 and spring 64 urging ball 60 into the groove 66 to provide a locking action.

The bearings 50 for knuckles 38 are axially abbreviated to acomrnodate the ball bearing units 52, and the bearings 50 for the knuckles 34 are also abbreviated axially for purposes which will now become apparent. In compliance with an important feature of the invention, the upper end knuckle 34 is fashioned with a cylindrical recess 68 which opens through a planar end surface 70 of the end knuckle and which is shaped to receive fittingly and in flush relationship the head 46 of pintle 40. The bearing 50 for upper end knuckle 34 is axially abbreviated to admit the head 46 in this flush relationship. It is apparent from an inspection of FIG. 5 that the periphery of the cylindrical recess 68 is spaced inwardly from the outer surface or edge 72 of upper end knuckle 34 by a sufiicient distance to provide a strong wall radially outwardly of the head 46 while still providing a comparatively thin and attractive circular region at the end surface '70. Moreover, a substantial annular shoulder 74 is provided at the floor of recess 63 to establish a positive stop for the pintle 40.

Returning to FIG. 2, the sleeve bearing 59 for the lower end knuckle 34 is also seen to be abbreviated in order to admit the stem of a plug element 76 within the end knuckle. Considering FIG. 4 for the moment, the plug element 76 is seen to comprise a cylindrical head 78 and a cylindrical stem 80 rigid therewith. Cooperatively, the lower end knuckle 34 is fashioned with a cylindrical recess 82 that opens through an end surface 84 of the knuckle, as is shown in FIG. 2. The stem 8% of plug element 76 fittedly enters the bore 48 of the lower end knuckle underlying the sleeve bearing 50, and the head 78 of the plug element 76 fittedly enters the recess 82 in flush relationship with the end surface 84. Thus, both the upper and lower ends of the aligned hinge knuckles are buttonless in appearance. The plug element 76 is fashioned with a central aperture 36 therethrough, and this aperture serves to admit a driving member such as a nail into forcibly extractable engagement with the confronting end of the stem 42 of hinge pintle 4t Manipulation of such a driving member allows the hinge pintle to be pushed out of the aligned bores in the knuckles and against the retaining action of the spring-loaded ball 60. Moreover, the plug element 76 is specifically arranged for substantially non-extractable mounting in the lower end knuckle 34. Specifically, this mounting of the plug element is achieved by arranging the abbreviated stem 88 to have a diameter which is sufiiciently greater than the diameter of the bore 48 in the end knuckle to provide a press fit therebetween.

While a particular embodiment of the invention has been thus far shown and described, it should be understood, of course, that the invention is not limited thereto since many modifications may be made. Therefore and in order to enhance the understanding of the invention, a modified form thereof is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8. Since the embodiment of FIGS. 7 and 8 incorporates many of the elements and features found in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, like numerals have been used to designate like elements with the suffix letter a being employed to distinguish those parts associated with the embodiments of FIGS. 7 and 8.

The butt hinge 22a of FIG. 7 is characterized by being of the plain knuckle type, the stem 42a of the pintle a bearing directly on the walls of the bores 48a in the various hinge knuckles. Butt hinge 22a is also characterized by the shape of the heads 46a and 78a of the hinge pintle and the plug element. Specifically, the heads 46a and 78a are frusto-conical in shape. The corresponding recesses 68a and 82a are similarly shaped. Furthermore, the plug element and the hinge pintle are mounted in the respective end knuckles in retained relationship by means of knurled enlargements 8% and 90 respectively.

In the essential respects of buttonless appearance, and end knuckle strength, the butt hinge 22a is similar to the butt hinge 22.

The specific examples herein shown and described are to be considered as being primarily illustrative. Various changes beyond those described will, no doubt, occur to those skilled in the art; and such changes are to be understood as forming a part of this invention insofar as they fall Within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

The invention is claimed as follows:

l. A butt hinge comprising: a pair of cooperating hinge leaves having interfitting end and medial knuckles forming integral extensions of their respective leaves, said knuckles having aligned bores for receiving the stem of a hinge pintle and each of said end knuckles further having a planar outer end surface and a recess opening through said surface, the diameter of said recesses adjacent their respective planar knuckle surface being less than but approximating the external knuckle diameter, said recess being shaped to receive the entire head of a stemmed element; a hinge pintle including an elongate stem slidably and rotatably received in a plurality of said knuckles and further including a head rigid with said stem fittingly and completely received in one of said recesses in flush relationship with the outer end surface of the corresponding end knuckle; a plug element including a head fittingly and completely received in the other of said recesses in flush relationship with the outer end surface of the corresponding end knuckle and including an abbreviated stem disposed in said last mentioned knuckle; and mounting means coacting between said last mentioned end knuckle; and mounting means coacting between said last mentioned end knuckle and said abbreviated stem to secure said plug element in place.

2. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises a knurled enlargement on said abbreviated stem.

3. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said mounting means comprises said abbreviated stem having a diameter sufficiently greatter than the diameter of the bore in the corresponding end knuckle to provide a press fit therebetween.

4. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said plug element has a central aperture therethrough for admitting a driving member into forcibly extractable engagement with the confronting end of the elongate stem.

5. A butt hinge according to claim 4 wherein said elongate stem has retention means coactable with the wall of a bore in a said knuckle.

6. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said elongate stem has retention means in the form of a spring actuated element coactable with the interior structure of the pintle mounting to prevent unauthorized removal of the pintle.

7. A butt hinge according to claim 1 wherein said elongate stem has retention means in the form of knurling on said stem below the head thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1956 Tieri 16-169 6/1964 Parsons 16-l69 

